Yao Dongzhao didn't know that Lu Xiangsheng had been demoted at the moment, so as soon as he opened his mouth, he called Xiangsheng Lord Shangshu, and he said in a loud voice and with confidence, "Lord Shangshu, the world is raging, and it has been almost ten years. The Manchu Tartars have entered the fortress several times, killed our people, kidnapped me Ding Zhuang, lewd my wife and daughter, and burned my house, and all my subjects of the Ming Dynasty should have the same hatred for the enemy, and deal with the enemy, but they have no choice but to capture the horses, our soldiers will collapse without a fight, and the state and county will collapse, which is really distressing! Including the hateful traitors, the adults are lonely and loyal, but they are hated. Thousands of miles up and down, galloping on an empty stomach, wandering in the wilderness, not even getting a full meal! Alas, my God, like this, how can you fight a strong enemy!"

Yao Dongzhao's voice choked and trembled, and he couldn't stop for a moment. The people around him, whether it was the representative of the father or the soldier under the command of Xiangsheng, heard this, they all felt their throats blocked, and their hearts were suffocated. Some people lowered their heads, and some quietly glanced at the governor's face, and saw that his eyes were moist and excited, and a wry smile appeared from the corner of his mouth, waiting for the old man to continue talking.

"I heard that today's fifth watch, the three armies were clamoring, and the general soldier of Datong, Lord Wang, went out of the customs to save Shanxi under the pretext of going out of the customs and left with his men and horses. When the decisive battle was about to be fought against the enemy, this happened. How can you defeat the Tartars with only a few thousand hungry and tired men and horses left? Please listen to the foolish plan, quickly move troops to Guangping and Shunde, collect grain and grass, and gather righteous teachers. Once we know that the adults are coming, everyone will be enthusiastic and generous, work together, and obey the commands of the adults, even if they are full of hearts and minds! Isn't this far better than an adult who is helpless, resisting a strong enemy alone, and being sent to death in vain?

The old man's words hit Lu Xiangsheng's heart. He knew very well that if he adopted this old man's opinion, he would not only be able to avoid the danger of annihilation of the entire army, but also perhaps achieve a big victory.

However, after all, he is an official of the imperial court, and he has decided not to do it when he takes the opportunity to flee to Shanxi, not to mention that as the commander of the soldiers and horses of the Qinwang of the whole country, how can he allow the Tartars to be the troubled division of Beijing, although he knows that the hearts of the people in southern Jinan are available, but he does not want to be said by the imperial court to solicit the hearts of the people, trying to find misdeeds, and besides, you let a dignified Ming Governor ignore the millions of officials and soldiers, but the power of the people is not clear, isn't it self-destruction.

In his cognition, resisting foreign invasions can only be a matter for the imperial court, civil servants, and military generals, and the people gathered in a hurry, although they had hostile hearts, but after all, they were a rabble. He knew very well that the people of the three provinces were in a situation with the government on weekdays, and the people were in turmoil, and there were hidden crises everywhere, so he was very worried that if the people of Jifu rose up to fight against the Qing soldiers, even if they could help him drive the Qing soldiers away for a while, it would also bring "worries" to the imperial court.

He guessed in his heart, "If there are scoundrels who take advantage of the opportunity to make trouble, how can he do anything to the imperial court? Won't there be a wave of peace, and a wave of trouble? At that time, he will not die on the battlefield, but in the West Market."

He didn't hesitate much, and bowed his hand to Yao Dongzhao and the other fathers and elders, and said, "Mr. Tun Chu, all the fathers! I am very grateful to the fathers and elders for their grandeur and righteousness! Xiangsheng has been through a hundred battles in the past ten years, and has not tasted defeat, but in today's situation, there is only one death to serve the country!"

Hearing his words, the masses became even more agitated, and they persuaded him one after another to move his troops to Guang and Shun and straighten out his troops and horses. An old peasant who could not tell his age wiped away his tears and said loudly: "Your Excellency, don't think that the common people are ignorant and foolish, as long as the adults move their troops to the wide and smooth range, and the army and the people work together, they are still afraid that they will not be able to defeat the enemy? Don't you believe that the common people of our three prefectures will take up swords and guns to defend the homeland and the country? Your Excellency, just thinking about saving the country by death is not the way, and how to defeat the enemy is important!"

Lu Xiangsheng shook his head and said: "Alas, although Xiangsheng is named the governor today, he actually only has thousands of tired soldiers. The great enemy rushed from the west, and I had neither reinforcements nor food and grass, and I had exhausted myself after a thousand miles of fighting. However, everything is controlled by the central government, and if it is constrained at every turn, what can the husband say! It is like dying on the battlefield on the eve of the ascension, and there is no need to involve the fathers and brothers of the three prefectures in southern Jinan!"

Yao Dongzhao said loudly: "Death is heavier than Mount Tai, and some are lighter than feathers." If you can't defeat the Tartars, what's the good of dying?"

He was very moved by these words, but he knew in his heart that if he moved his army to Guang and Shun, the imperial court would definitely say that he was fleeing from the enemy and arrest him in Beijing, and even if he had a hundred mouths, he would have nowhere to defend himself.

However, he was a minister of the imperial court, so he could not say such words to the fathers and elders of the people, and could only reply: "How can an elephant who has been promoted to become a minister of the imperial court disobey the holy decree and move the army without authorization?

"But the general is outside, and the king's order is not affected!"

"Not only is it difficult to disobey the king's order, but the director is dozens of miles away, although the kings are well-intentioned, but if Xiangsheng dies in Xishi on the charge of disobeying the holy decree and being afraid of the enemy, how can he be so generous as prancing on a horse and dying between the artillery and the picks! Xiangsheng has made up his mind to die, please don't talk about it anymore!" Lu Xiangsheng's pain in his heart said to whom, he can only fight in his heart.

The fathers and elders understood his hardships, some shook their heads in disapproval, some sighed, some were disappointed, and some were dissatisfied because of the critical military situation, the court was dim, and Lu Xiangsheng died in vain, and they were so angry that they couldn't help but cry bitterly. Xiangsheng and the soldiers around him couldn't help but shed tears when they saw the people crying.

Yao Dongzhao took a step closer in front of Lu Xiangsheng, and the old man generously stated: "Master Inspector, since the second year of Chongzhen, this is now the fourth time that Dongyu has invaded, and it is deeper than before. Every time the captives invaded, the capital was under martial law, and the imperial court was helpless, allowing the captives to ride rampantly and ravaging Jifu, and the state and county officials would only flee when they heard the wind, and did not dare to stick to the city. The local squires also fled first when they heard the news, and no one was willing to think about the country, and they had no loyalty to the monarch and patriotism, let alone calling on the people to protect Sangzi. When the officers and soldiers came, they were as fearful of the captives as tigers and leopards, and as fierce as jackals to the people. Every time a rider was convicted, houses were burned, women were raped, cattle, farm implements, livestock, and property were plundered, many people were killed, and many people were taken captive. We ordinary people can't rely on the imperial court at the top, and we can't rely on the government at the bottom, and we are afraid of both captive soldiers and officers and soldiers. But just being afraid is not the way, so we called on the children of the three provinces to defend the country and fight with the captives. The people are afraid of the enemy and the lord of the court, and the officials and soldiers from all walks of life are called King Qin, which is really a disturbance to the people, and only the adults are willing to fight with the captives, so they don't want to watch the adults donate their lives in vain, which is not beneficial to the country, and they are willing to help the adults, and I hope that the adults will not lose the hearts of the people of the three provinces, and do not frustrate the morale of the people of the three provinces!"

(End of chapter)